Monday, December 31, 2007

The weeks that wereA treacherous road trip at Christmas usually leaves the Habs with a hill to climb for the New Year.

Thankfully for us fans, they decided to change things up a bit this holiday season with a few wins on the road and even a couple in Florida for the first time in what seems like ages.

Of the seven games since I last reviewed their play (after a nice Christmas break), I would say a few were must wins. By that I mean that anytime you play the Southeast division 5 times in 2 weeks, you'd better hope to come out with 6 points or better. And, the Habs did just that - taking advantage of their southern rivals to gather 7 of 10.

On the downside, the Canadiens did also manage to lose quite comfortably to Florida to start these weeks off, and threw in a game in Dallas that will hopefully be forgotten from this point on.

As a team in the middle of the playoff pack, though, this kind of inconsistency is to be expected. In fact, if anything their ability to take lessons from those two games will prove to be the most important thing they could take away from this Christmas hockey season.

In terms of individual play, these games could be summed up as the Kostitsyn weeks. Sergei being promoted has proved me and probably some others wrong about his readiness to play – but then Dave Gagner did initially say that Sergei was more ready than either his son or top rookie Patrick Kane ages ago. More importantly than Sergei's ability to stick has been Andrei's emergence. I can't say I am shocked, as I've been touting him based on his skill for ages. However, I have been a bit surprised at how he has become more of a shooter this past month. I think someone may have had a chat with him about that. Obviously, it is working out to the Canadiens, if not Kovalev's 40-goal quest's benefit.

In addition, as Tobalev has mentioned ad nauseum, Markov and Komisarek have been putitng in better performances of late. No coincidence of course that that Canadiens have been winning with the solid number 1 combo functioning well.

The one issue I see as a potential problem is the constant misuse of Saku Koivu. Obviously, Koivu is a talented player and a willing captain, but I feel that taking Higgins off his wing may prove to be a step too far. Koivu has the ability to make any winger perform better (as we've seen) and will always do whatever is asked of him. I just feel that while Koivu might make a 15-goal Latendresse into a 25-goal man, he might be better used making a 20-goal Kostitsyn (Andrei that is) into a 35-goal Kostitsyn. Obviously, Kostitsyn is currently flourishing, so messing with him might not be ideal. But at some point, it would be nice to figure out a way to get the best out of Koivu who could also excel in the right circumstances.

As long as the team wins this should remain a curiosity, but should the team hit another slow patch, I'd wager that Koivu will come under questioning. I'd suggest then, as I will now, that the criticism will be slightly unfair as he has been vital in the wins we have put up so far.

Quote of the weekOn selective memory and barring any thoughts of Ribeiro's smug face (Mike Boone):

"As it was, they got a very well-deserved point to complete an outstanding 3-0-2 road trip."

Coming off a successful Christmas road trip...

... what might Rejean Houle do?

Convene a meeting with Carbonneau and Muller to find a way to get Brisebois into a bigger role, as he ponders what a good move that 4-year contract was with the no-trade clause back in the day.

... what might Sam Pollock do?

Convene a meeting with Carbonneau, Muller and Corey Locke to assure him another chance will come.

The week upcoming

A light week to be sure, but a tough one, in that both teams both recently played us. 2 points from these 2 are essential, 3 would be nice and 4 would be, well, what any team who thinks they are a contender for winning in the playoffs would get against two languishing teams.

Thursday night: Tampa Bay Lightning at the Bell Centre.

Tampa Bay are the latest team to fall to the bottom of the East. In a season where only Ottawa has been consistent in their position, I wouldn't be surprised if Tampa don't end up a last place team. In any case, they are slumping, so the Canadiens must take advantage of the situation (like any good team would do - see above) and win.

Lightning to watch:Vincent Lecavalier and Brad Richards – the midway scoring leader will be the latest to test a Quebecer's luck in Montreal, honourary Quebecker, Richards, often puts on a show in the province where he learned to be a star.

Saturday night: Washington Capitals at the Bell Centre.

Washington, while last for the majority of 2007, have recently pulled themselves out of the spin and have started climbing. In actual fact, they have played .500 hockey, managed to arrange a few OT losses and watched Tampa suck air for a few weeks. Mind you, if we're talking last 10, we are identical with the Caps, so complacency here would be ill advised. In addtion, their two recent wins have been impressive goalscoring efforts against the mighty Senators.

Of the two games, I see this as the tougher one, but a chance to win on Saturday at home against someone other than the Bruins.

Caps to watch: Alexander Ovechkin and Michael Nylander – Ovechkin scores goals like a true goalscorer, and he has an uncanny ability to do it with coverage as well, Nylander has had a couple of good games and looks to be coming out of a relative slumber (relative to what we were used to when he was next to Jagr...).

Poster outside Windsor station

Train leaves, circumstances permitting, following the first weekend of January. All tickets have been sold, but space may become available with possible cancellations.

[The subjective look at the week that was and the week ahead in Montreal Canadiens Week is supplemented by the objective analysis following every fifth game]

2007/08 firstThere's a first time for everything, so they say. What they didn't tell you is that every game, something happens for the first time, you just have to look harder in March...

1st Game Without Saku this year1st Multipe Goal Game for Andrei Kostitsyn in the NHL1st Game Wearing the 'C' for Kovalev as a Hab1st Game Wearing the 'A' for Markov as a Hab

Play of the gameThe play you're straining to see on the press catwalk monitor...

Well I can tell you one thing - the play of the game is bound to involve A. Kostitsyn and Plekanec. Those two had a hand in all 3 of our goals and I am definitely not leaning towards a defensive play or game-saving save tonight (although I wish I could).

Our third goal, the one that looked like it may be the winner, was a beaut by Pleks. Hard work on a delayed penalty by Bouillon and Kovalev kept the play alive and gave us a very nice goal. Francis kept the play going down low for just enough time for Sergei Kostitsyn to grab the puck and throw it out front to his brother. Lundqvist was thinking shot, but instead Andrei sent a backhand, no-look, pass to Plekanec who rifled a one-timer upstairs to give the Habs a 3-2 lead.

Game puckTrophies are for the end of the year, play well in the game, you get a lovely puck...

Andrei KostitsynOur secret prospect is on quite the tear netting another 3 points tonight. He now has 13 points in his last 12 games and is looking like the player that most of us hoped he was and that a few of us knew he was. He had a great game as he and his line carried the whole team tonight. With Plekanec, Kovalev and Kostitsyn himself all at full tilt right now it makes for very exciting hockey each time the three of them step on the ice. Between the three of them they now have 88 points and 37 goals - not so bad for our second line with 43 games left to play.

Dome hockey teamWe're going into the last minute with these 6 (and they're attached to the ice, so they're not coming off)...

Forwards

Alexei Kovalev- Set up 2 goals tonight and now has 35 points. Looked very much at ease in his old haunts and is playing with a passion and love for the game that is noticeable night in, night out

Andrei Kostitsyn- The 22 year old had a great game and a great trip. His season to date has far exceeded most people's expectations, but it his play since the call-up of his younger brother that is really turning heads

Tomas Plekanec- In Koivu's absence he stepped up and played the role of #1 centre very well as his line was quite dominant. The problem was that no one filled his void tonight as #2 centre. Had Locke's equipment arrived with him I believe that Habs fans would have gotten a quick glimpse at a very good, forgotten, prospect and it may just have meant the difference between L and W

Defencemen

Josh Gorges- Another solid game from yet another forgotten prospect. Don't let Gorges' 122 NHL games fool you into thinking he is old. The 23 year old is still very much a work in progress, but has taken strides over the course of this 6 game road trip to move up in the defenceman pecking order. Streit to me is a no-brainer as a regular D and now the choice for #6 comes down to Gorges and O'Byrne - Dandenault, barring catastrophe, will never play D for the Habs again

Andrei Markov- 3 of the Habs defencemen made critical mistakes and 3 didn't, so this choice was really a toss up between Markov and Streit. I think that Markov had the stronger game though. He was effective in all facets of the game tonight. I was happy to see him wearing the A; it just shows how much he has come as a player and a leader since joining the team from Russia and knowing little to no English at all

Goaltender

Cristobal Huet- This was probably Huet's worst game since his return to play. That being said he still got us a point. When your goalie plays his worst game in a while and you are beaten on a breakaway in OT you know that your team is doing well. I came across a very interesting stat tonight concerning Huet. Since the lockout he leads all goalies in save % with a .923 efficiency. The next 4 goalies on the list are Vokoun, Luongo, Brodeur and Lundqvist. I would say that this is quite an amazing feat. All this time people have been asking if Huet is a #1 goalie - well he is, he is THE #1 goalie! Keep playing him and a playoff berth will be ours

Eyes on KovalevDid he flit and float? Someone ought to keep track...

Kovalev, like Saku, is a big-game player and anytime you play your old team (a team with which you started your career, won a cup with and had two stints on) it is a big game. Kovy played very well tonight and led the charge for the Habs. His passing and play-making were in top form tonight and he continues to show moves and plays we have never seen before. So many players tend to repeat the same plays over and over, but with Alex you can always count on something new, different and sure enough, exciting.

Kovalev's Assessment - Very Good

Overall Comments

A loss is always disappointing, but give it to me in OT, at the end of a long trip over the holiday period and the disappointment soon fades. This isn't a game we should have won, but merely a game we could have won. I guarantee that if you put yourself in a position where you could win all 82 games then you will make the playoffs. No team is going to win each game, but if you compete and keep yourself in it till the end you will come out with more points than not. Making the playoffs means being better than at least 7 teams over the course of the season. So far we have done just that, we have out-played, out-hustled and, to no ones surprise, out-pointed more than 7 teams. If we keep this up then we'll be playing hockey in May and with a little luck in June.

The game was exciting and quick and was quite fun to watch. I can't imagine too many better places to be than Manhattan on the 30th of December either, but watching from home was the next best thing. We only dressed 19 players tonight as Saku was out with the flu and his last minute replacement, Corey Locke, wasn't ready in time. People always seem to criticize Koivu saying that he isn't a #1 centre (to which I always reply - if he isn't then there are only about 4 in the league anyway and what are the chances we'd get one of them), that he is too small, not dominant enough. Well, after watching this game it was noticeable that he wasn't there, he brings so much to the table and makes his line-mates 100 times better. Tonight we had 1 scoring threat, and albeit it almost worked, but with Saku in there we have 2 quality lines and 2 proper scoring lines.

We held New York to just 21 shots tonight and they only managed to register a grand total of 1 in the 2nd period. Unfortunately we matched their level tonight, sinking down to a sub-par 21 shots ourselves. I am happy with the point and happy with the game, but tonight we played down to an old, tired team's level. What we needed to do was set our own tempo, like we did in Miami and Tampa and forget what the other team is offering. You can't blame the boys though, 8 points of a possible 12 and a few fine personal performances is good enough for now. Time now for the Habs to have a little fun with 3 days off, perhaps they could find a party or two in New York tonight and tomorrow, I hear that Kovy knows a few places.

2007/08 firstThere's a first time for everything, so they say. What they didn't tell you is that every game, something happens for the first time, you just have to look harder in March...

1st Win Against Florida in the past 2 seasons1st Even-Strength Goal for Kostopoulos as a Hab

Play of the gameThe play you're straining to see on the press catwalk monitor...

Like last night Habs goals were the big story of this game and for the goal and play of the game I am going to one very unlikely (and relieved) goal-scorer: Michael Ryder. Josh Gorges made a beautiful pass up the right hand boards to Ryder that led to a 2-on-1 with Higgins. Everyone was expecting the snake-bitten Ryder to have a shot, but instead he passed it to Higgins on his left. Higgins then fed the puck right back to Ryder where all he had to do was tap it into the net.

Game puckTrophies are for the end of the year, play well in the game, you get a lovely puck...

Cristobal HuetThe Habs are a different team up front and all over the ice when Huet plays. They don't seem to be bothered by being badly out shot (21-41 tonight) as they always seem to get more quality chances than the opposition anyway. Huet looked solid and right from the get-go looked like he was there to play and there to win. He made a few spectacular saves that kept the scoreline well in the Habs' favour.

Dome hockey teamWe're going into the last minute with these 6 (and they're attached to the ice, so they're not coming off)...

Forwards

Christopher Higgins- Had 3 points tonight and looked very good along side Ryder and Lapierre. Those 3 have been playing well the past 2 games together and if they keep it up they give us a very good third option. Good speed and hustle tonight for Higgs

Maxime Lapierre- He got in Florida's face all night and it worked. He reminds me a lot of a Claude Lemieux type player. When Lapierre is at his best he can also be an offensive threat as he was tonight setting up his linemates and having a few chances of his own

Mark Streit- A goal and an assist and all of a sudden he is at 22 points. His goal was superb, mostly thanks to a glorious pass from Higgins. Great work at the point on the PP and great fore-checking all night long

Defencemen

Josh Gorges- Gorges seems to be getting more and more comfortable as a regular on this team. He contributed nicely tonight in both ends and finished at a +2. He is underrated offensively as he has looked good on the PP recently. He may be small, but tonight he used all of his size to play a very solid defensive game

Roman Hamrlik- NHL.com credits him with 1 hit, but I would say that the stat-keepers down in Miami have no clue what is going on as he surely had more than that. He was a physical force all night and played a big role in shutting down Florida's 'big' names. Like Streit and Gorges he logged some good PP time

Goaltender

Cristobal Huet- Another great performance from Huet. He now has a Save % of .931 and ranks second in the NHL in that category (Thomas - .932). Like most of his recent outings he should have really got the shutout, but Komi made a meal of a routine play in front of the net that led to Jokinen's goal. Looked very mobile tonight as he seems to have recovered fully from his groin tear

Eyes on KovalevDid he flit and float? Someone ought to keep track...

He may not have notched any points tonight, but he still played a great game. He made a few spectacular moves that had the final shots gone in the net they may have snuck in for play of 2007. It was obvious that with a quick 3-0 lead the Habs were just going through the motions for the balance of the game, ensuring they got the win and spent as little energy as possible. Kovalev followed this plan, but when there was an opportunity he pounced - otherwise a solid game.

Kovalev's Assessment - Very Good

Overall Comments

The Canadiens finally beat the Panthers after 2 seasons of trying. Coming into this game we had only scored 5 goals (in regulation) against Florida in our last 6 games. Within just over 5 minutes we had scored 3 - en-route to an impressive 5. The Habs came out flying again tonight scoring on their first 3 shots and managed to score 5 on just 21 throughout the game. Florida played better than Tampa did last night, but the Habs didn't seem to care. We made the most of our chances up front and Huet and the boys did the rest.

Our road trip can now be listed as a success and the game in New York on Sunday now becomes bonus. We are guaranteed 7 points in 6 games on this road trip, but how good would 8 or 9/12 look? After that bad start to December we are now 5-2-2 in our last 9 games and we finally seem to have a few issues sorted out as a team. - Huet is our #1 and right now he is seeing #1 minutes. - Ryder is good enough to play on our third line even if he's in a slump.- Brisebois has no place on our team. (We our 9-2-1 without him)These 3 things in particular had been bothering me early in the month, but it now seems that the coaching staff has got it right. This organization has the tools to be a winner, it now becomes a matter of knowing which tools to use and which tools should never play in the NHL again.

2007/08 firstThere's a first time for everything, so they say. What they didn't tell you is that every game, something happens for the first time, you just have to look harder in March...

1st Goal of the Season for Lapierre

Play of the gameThe play you're straining to see on the press catwalk monitor...

Finally the Habs played a game that made me think about which good play could be the play of the game. It seems that home games around Christmas time may be a bit hard to get up for with the added excitement of being in one's hometown and Tampa proved that tonight. They didn't really show up, and because of that the play of the game is neither a save nor a defensive play.

The Habs scored 5 pretty decent goals, but seeing as tonight we won comfortably I will consider quite simply the goal itself rather than considering its timing and the situation surrounding it. That being said, the nicest goal, and play of the game, tonight goes to Kostitsyn's goal. Kovalev fed Plekanec a nice pass, which was handled very well by Pleks, and created a 2-on-1. Plekanec, on the right wing, drew the defender and then saucered a beautiful backhand pass to Kostitsyn. Andrei had an open net to shoot in, but shelved it nonetheless.

Game puckTrophies are for the end of the year, play well in the game, you get a lovely puck...

Andrei MarkovMarkov had a great game highlighted by a goal, an assist and a +3 rating. Lecavalier and co. were nowhere to be see tonight and for that we can thank Andrei. His defensive game was absolutely superb, making it more and more obvious that he may just be the top defenceman in the Eastern Conference; it seems like the rest of the league's fans already thought that anyway as he still leads in Eastern All-Star Defenceman voting.

Dome hockey teamWe're going into the last minute with these 6 (and they're attached to the ice, so they're not coming off)...

Forwards

Saku Koivu- He notched assists #21, 22 tonight and played quite a good game. He was a constant threat and had a few pretty decent chances himself. Played well with Sergei and Gui on what is quite an exciting combination

Alexei Kovalev- Another solid performance in both ends and another 2 points taking him to 16 goals and 33 points. He is a constant fixture in the dome and I would want him on the ice in all situations

Tomas Plekanec- Pleks, like all the other non-goalie domers, had a 2 point night. His offence tonight was explosive as he looked dangerous throughout the entire game. His faceoffs weren't so great, again, but no one on the Habs did well in that category tonight

Defencemen

Andrei Markov- Another great game for Markov as he tries to put the memories of his partnership with Brisebois behind him. Offensively he was our best defenceman and defensively he was our best too. That of course should come as no surprise and I think it is time to seriously consider as one of the NHL's top 10 with the likes of Lidstrom, Niedermayer and Pronger. He is now +11 in his past 10 games bringing his rating from a dismal -9 to +1 very quickly; thanks Breezer

Mike Komisarek- 2 assists as well as a very strong defensive outing. Markov isn't the only person to thank for shutting down Vinny and Marty as Komi deserves a whole lot of credit too. He now has 11 points, which for a defensive defenceman is quite good. He should be able to hit the 25 point mark this year and 30+ is attainable in his career

Goaltender

Cristobal Huet- Huet did what he had to tonight, again. Tampa never looked like they were going to get into this game, but I have seen teams lose in those situations too. Once again, however, I felt he played well enough for the shutout, but his teammates let him down as they got sloppy with 5-0 and 5-1 leads

Eyes on KovalevDid he flit and float? Someone ought to keep track...

Alex rebounded well from the back-to-back games last weekend to have a very good game tonight. He looked very well rested and seemed to be a step ahead of the Lightning all game long. He is no longer on the 40-goal pace, but it seems likely that he will hit 30 or 35 and quite possibly 75 points.

Kovalev's Assessment - Very Good

Overall Comments

The Habs came out flying tonight and Tampa came out flat and we were able to keep that going for the whole game. The Lightning had played last night as well which no doubt helped us out (but will likely hurt us tomorrow) and I think they may have been just a bit to stuffed with some good 'ole home-cooked Christmas food too. I have often said that we must take advantage of tired teams and tonight we did just that.

The Habs are now 2-1-1 on their current 6 game road trip and stand a very good chance of coming home with 6 points - which I believe was the goal at the beginning. Being in Florida at Christmas is great for the Habs as I am guessing that more Quebecers are in Florida than any other place outside of Quebec itself. Just by watching the game on TV it was obvious that there were more Habs fans than Lightning fans. Let's hope that tomorrow the fans have the same effect in Miami.

Our 6 best players tonight (see The Dome) were quite possibly our 6 best all around players (honourable mentions to Higgins, Hamrlik and Streit). It is often said that when your best players are your best you will win. In order for our best to be our best they have to outplay the other team's best as they will often be asked to play at the same time as them. Tonight our top 6 shutdown their big guns and I believe that was the reason we won. Between our big 6 we had 2 goals, 8 assists, a GAA of 2.00 and a Save % of .933 - with those kinds of efforts I see why we once thought (and I still think) we could compete with the Ottawas and Detroits.

2007/08 firstThere's a first time for everything, so they say. What they didn't tell you is that every game, something happens for the first time, you just have to look harder in March...

1st Game for Mike Ribeiro against the Habs (3 points)

Play of the gameThe play you're straining to see on the press catwalk monitor...

This isn't the night to give the play of the game to the Stras, although I easily could. The play of the game was our lone goal, Markov's 9th. A quasi 2-0n-1 emerged as we broke into Dallas' end and S. Kots fed a beautiful pass through the defender's legs right to Markov. There Andrei made no mistake burying it as we avoided being shutout.

Game puckTrophies are for the end of the year, play well in the game, you get a lovely puck...

Sergei KostitsynMany people believed that with linemates such as Patrick Kane and Sam Gagner in London over the past 2 years Sergei was the weakest on the line and wasn't a complete player himself. He may be the weakest of the 3, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. He is a great player and he is a complete player. His pass was just one of many good, aggressive plays from the 20 year old tonight.

Dome hockey teamWe're going into the last minute with these 6 (and they're attached to the ice, so they're not coming off)...

Forwards

Sergei Kostitsyn- He got his 4th point of the year in only his 6th game which for a Habs rookie is quite something. He will likely overtake Ryder in points soon as he continues to mow down certain defencemen and 4th-liners in that category

Kyle Chipchura- I tend to notice him more in losses than wins. I notice him, however, for good solid fore-checking and all around gritty play. Tonight he was one of the few noticeable Habs

Mark Streit- His best moments tonight came at the point on the PP, as a defenceman, and that his where he should be. Until that happens though I will put him in as a forward if he deserves it, which he did tonight. Whether or not he is a top 9 forward is irrelevant as our 4th best D should be playing D. Markov would be a great 1st-liner, but it doesn't mean I would take him off D

Defencemen

Andrei Markov- A very nice goal, the Habs' only one, but an otherwise quieter game. Was the only Hab to finish in the + tonight and is now all the way up to -2 for the year

Ryan O'Byrne- I noticed three things tonight that I really like to see - speed, size and effort. I think that if every Hab had just 2 of those qualities we would be fine. The problem is hat most have the capability for that, but only show 0-1 of those qualities in a game; Ryan Showed all three

Goaltender

Cristobal Huet- Price never gave us a chance to win and seeing as Huet played well last night I think this was a no-brainer. Carey has yet to show me that he is anything more than an average goalie. I am not interested in what he did in the AHL or WJHC as those are both way worse than the NHL. We continue to throw away points by playing a goalie that we believe should, in theory, most of the time, for the rest of his career, now be a superstar

Eyes on KovalevDid he flit and float? Someone ought to keep track...

Maybe Alex's worst game of the season, maybe not. It was, however, his line's worst performance of the year, no question. Playing back-to-back nights continues to be a problem for Alex and co. and that is costing the Habs a chance at a lot of points.

Kovalev's Assessment - Average

Overall Comments

Dallas showed us what a truly great organization looks like and I don't believe we are far off. With many former Stars players/personnel running our team I am confident that the similarities between the teams will only grow. Imagine having 2 great goalies but declaring a #1. Imagine having your best player since 1995 honoured and respected by the team, fans and local media rather than being criticized. Imagine being able to get players like Ribeiro to produce. I think if the media would give Bob and Guy a chance that we wouldn't be imagining for too long.

2007/08 firstThere's a first time for everything, so they say. What they didn't tell you is that every game, something happens for the first time, you just have to look harder in March...

1st NHL Goal from his own shot for Sergei Kostitsyn

Play of the gameThe play you're straining to see on the press catwalk monitor...

Kostitsyn's goal was the nicer of the two and on a fairly slow night it is the play of the game. Koivu worked hard around the net to generate a few chances; the first wasn't converted, but on the second great chance S. Kots skated in hard and snapped a high shot up past a sprawled out Lehtonen.

Game puckTrophies are for the end of the year, play well in the game, you get a lovely puck...

Alexei KovalevHe was on fire tonight with the puck and had a nice goal to boot. He was our best all around player and I think that we have all learned our lesson - he must be the 1st or 2nd shooter in the shootout.

Dome hockey teamWe're going into the last minute with these 6 (and they're attached to the ice, so they're not coming off)...

Forwards

Saku Koivu- Again he took too many penalties and I just feel that they may be costing us some games. That being said if it weren't him it would be someone else to meet the quota, otherwise a great offensive game

Alexei Kovalev- I think he wanted to remind Kovalchuk who the real Russian Master is with the puck. He pulled out all his best moves tonight, one of which was his slapshot - good for #15 on the year

Sergei Kostitsyn- Is he this year's Ryder or Higgins for Saku? I think so. The skipper likes to work with young, raw talent and Sergei may be the best Saku has seen in the past few years. His goal was a goalscorers goal and he looks ever more comfortable out there

Defencemen

Mike Komisarek- Had another great game in his own end, but tonight he became a visible 2-way player. He was joining into a lot of the attacks, but always made sure he was back or that someone would cover

Roman Hamrlik- A good solid all around game. Some nights not making mistakes and sticking to the game plan is what I need to see from our D - tonight Roman did that the best

Goaltender

Cristobal Huet- If we could put Carey (or anyone) in for a shootout I would - Huet isn't the greatest in that area. He did, however, have a great game and gave the team a chance to win a game that they shouldn't have let slip away

Eyes on KovalevDid he flit and float? Someone ought to keep track...

A very nice game for #27. Again tonight he was used on the PK and it continues to look like a good decision. He got us a point on a night where we almost went away with 0. Huet cost him a chance to shoot in the shootout and potentially give us 2 points.

Kovalev's Assessment - Very Good

Overall Comments

This wasn't such a fiery game and that is exactly why we shouldn't have lost it. These types of games don't come often for the Habs and we must learn to take advantage of them. Unless we can start beating the good teams on a more regular basis then there should be no reason that we lose to weaker teams night in, night out.

2007/08 firstThere's a first time for everything, so they say. What they didn't tell you is that every game, something happens for the first time, you just have to look harder in March...

1st NHL Goal for Sergei Kostitsyn

Play of the gameThe play you're straining to see on the press catwalk monitor...

The goal and play of the game tonight goes to the newest Hab for his first ever goal. It was a power-play goal (we had 2 tonight) and it was a beautiful setup from Kovy. Kovalev fired a bullet pass from the top of the right face-off circle along the ice into the slot. There Saku and S-Kots were waiting, un-marked, with their blades on the ice. Kostitsyn got to it first putting it right over Kolzig's right shoulder for a pretty fancy 1st career goal.

Game puckTrophies are for the end of the year, play well in the game, you get a lovely puck...

Cristobal HuetThe Habs play with confidence when Cristo is back there. I am beginning to see that confidence emerge when Price is in, but not yet to the same degree as when Huet is playing. He faced 37 shots and did what he had to - let in 2 or less, and gave us a very good chance to win. He made some very nice saves and looked well rested after a 2 week break.

Dome hockey teamWe're going into the last minute with these 6 (and they're attached to the ice, so they're not coming off)...

Forwards

Guillaume Latendresse- He scored 2 pretty impressive goals tonight to quietly bring his season total to 9 - 7 in his last 14 games. The 20-year often gets overlooked when you hear news of Habs prospects, but at such a young age it is obvious that he has so much potential and could be a great player. A 20-goal season is not out of reach, let's just hope he doesn't get shipped to the top line where he rarely produces; leave him on the 3rd and he'll keep lighting the lamp

Alexei Kovalev- 2 very nice assists tonight put him at 30 points on the season - a pretty decent mark by Habs standards. Played a great game tonight as he contributed as usual, the difference was he had his team's support

Mark Streit- Was very effective on the PP at the right point and, like the 2 players above, had a 2 point night. He now has 19 points which is pretty impressive for the Swiss skipper. I still prefer him on D, but to tell you the truth he sure makes the most of his time up front which makes me accept the decision a little more easily

Defencemen

Andrei Markov- Ovechkin was pretty quiet tonight by his high standards; I think that we can thank Markov a lot for making that so. Andrei always seems to play well against his good buddy and tonight was no exception. He also had a good offensive and passing game

Francis Boullion- Bou has turned his season and maybe career around in the past couple of weeks or so. Since the '06 playoffs he had looked to have lost the spark that he had played with up until the point - likely attributed to his knee injury last season. Tonight, however, he played a very solid game and made a very good hit and pass late to send in Chipchura on Streit's goal

Goaltender

Cristobal Huet- I am happy for Huet tonight and happy for the Habs as I believe our key to success is Huet at the top of his game. In my opinion the only way Price will play regularly is if Huet isn't himself, in which case I believe we are doomed anyway. Asked in a post-game interview if he felt that he had something to prove he simply said 'no'. Do you think Miller, DiPietro or even Nabokov gets asked that question 35 times a year? I doubt it. I liked his answer as I believe he is our #1 and he has nothing to prove to the fans and hopefully nothing to prove to the coaches

Eyes on KovalevDid he flit and float? Someone ought to keep track...

Ever wonder why we have had the #1 PP in the league over the past 2 years? Probably not, as it is blatantly obvious - the reason is Kovy. Markov and Koivu obviously play a huge role during the man-advantage, but no one matches Kovalev's dominance when we are man-up. He doesn't get much space (unlike some former point-men), but makes the most of it to either squeeze a shot in himself, or like tonight, make a great pass that leads to a goal.

Kovalev's Assessment - Very Good

Overall Comments

A lot of people would claim that we got outplayed tonight and I would disagree with them. We were out-shot 37-21 which on paper looks like we may have been the worse team. Let's not forget that a goalie, however, is part of your team. Maybe the forwards were outplayed, maybe even the D, but as a team we outplayed Washington. You can't fault a team for having a good goalie; Huet is part of our team and part of our game plan is trusting in his abilities. What can I say, it seemed to work.

This was a game that I am quite pleased to have won. It was the first game of a string of six away from home (likely on two separate trips) and was against a team who our fiercest rivals beat on a nightly basis; losing this one would have given more to the eastern conference race than a mere 2 points to the Caps. These are games that must be won with little effort if you wish to make a push to get into the playoffs. It also halted our latest losing steak at 1 which is way more bearable than 6. At this time of the year the wins haven't come very easily for the Habs in recent memory, so 2 points here was much needed.

After 34 games last year we had a very unbelievable 47 points. Every time I think of that it makes me wonder how on earth we missed the playoffs. After as many games this season we now have 39 points. Our total this year is respectable, but I think it's pretty obvious that it isn't too spectacular. I am glad, however, that after a quick start again this year we aren't simply copying last year's team, because obviously that formula doesn't work! The points we have now are irrelevant; the task is simple - get into the playoffs, it doesn't matter how many we lose, how may we should've have won; all that matters is that I can watch some hockey in May.

2007/08 firstThere's a first time for everything, so they say. What they didn't tell you is that every game, something happens for the first time, you just have to look harder in March...

1st 2+ Goal Game vs. Florida since the 2005-2006 season1st Multiple Goal Game of the season for Markov

Play of the gameThe play you're straining to see on the press catwalk monitor...

The play of the game basically comes down to a choice of 2 plays, both by the same player. I can tell you right now there were no highlights in the goaltending, defensive nor passing departments tonight.

So, the play of the game of course goes to Markov and I'll choose his second goal. Both goals were shots from 60'+ out and should have really been stopped now that I think of it. The second goal to me was a little sweeter as for a minute I believed we may have a chance. I thought on a night when the Leafs blew a 2 goal lead with a minute left that karma may just save the Habs and play the same trick on Florida.

Game puckTrophies are for the end of the year, play well in the game, you get a lovely puck...

Andrei MarkovHis 2 goals were both good shots, they were from far, but both were accurate. Usually versus Florida no Habs show up, tonight we got at least one as Markov played a great game in both ends.

Dome hockey teamWe're going into the last minute with these 6 (and they're attached to the ice, so they're not coming off)...

Forwards

Maxim Lapierre- He played just under 13 minutes, but seemed to make the most of ice time. He is currently being asked to be a good solid 4th line checker and penalty-killer and tonight he excelled in both of those areas - he was basically the player that Steve Begin used to be

Christopher Higgins- Until the third period Higgins was quite invisible, but then again so were most of the team. Once the Habs went for a goal or two Higgins was indeed noticeable. He was playing on a line with Sak and Kovy in the third and I thought they looked good, the only problem is whether we can then have an effective 2nd line when that combo takes form

Saku Koivu- He won a key face-off with just about 30 seconds left, the assist led to Markov's second goal and gave the fans who actually stayed at the Bell Centre something to cheer about. He won 11 of his 17 face-offs and like Higgins was only really visible in the latter half of the 3rd

Defencemen

Roman Hamrlik- We didn't see him out there with O'Byrne much so his teaching will have to wait. He was playing with everyone and anyone as Carbo went to his best players tonight for the answer. Had a glorious chance in the 3rd that almost went in and would have made this a totally different game

Andrei Markov- 2 goals and good solid offensive play. He got slightly burned on a 2-on-1 where he was definitely not at fault - that blame lies with Komi and Saku. Other than being on the ice for 2 huge blunders (neither his fault) he played a great game in his own end as well

Goaltender

Cristobal Huet- Why must we always wait to lose to change things up? Why can't we try and win 3 straight, followed by 3 straight. Price has been over-used as of late and should have got the night off. Huet would have been hungry to get back in and it may have been what we needed to win this game. Not changing your lineup because you are winning is a very media-friendly approach for a coach to make, the problem is that when you have better players that are ready to play there is no sense having them sit. Carey made one huge mistake when he came out of his net to make sure the puck didn't go in to the corner, thus saving his defenceman of one routine clearance. I have said many times that leaving your net will cost you more goals and basically games than not - just watch the highlights

Eyes on KovalevDid he flit and float? Someone ought to keep track...

A good game for Alex, but nothing special. This is the type of game I can tolerate from our star once in a while. The problem, as it has been most of the year, is that when Kovy is off, the Habs are off. He had a couple of decent passes, moves and shots and was even good on the PK, but tonight was a night where he wasn't able to bail us out.

Kovalev's Assessment - Good

Overall Comments

First of all a special birthday greeting to quite possibly the biggest girl Habs fan around. I know that a loss on her birthday will be upsetting for her, but only because it's a loss and every loss is upsetting.

The Habs just couldn't seem to get going tonight. Every time we made a pass it was mishandled by the receiving player, every time we tried to skate fast or make a pivot we wiped out and each time it looked like we going to make a rush we got stopped in the neutral zone. These games happen the key becomes to make sure that you don't let too many happen in a row.

One thing that bothers me about tonight and just in general is the chirping for those extra 2 seconds at the end of the game - Carbo was all over the ref at the end when he didn't add any time. With every whistle that goes there is a delayed reaction for the score-keeper to stop the clock. It is implied that you will lose 1 -2 seconds with each stoppage and I am fine with that. That is part of the game, it probably happens about 100 times a game. It always annoys me when teams are granted an extra few seconds and was happy tonight that we didn't get them. I don't see why if you do it at the end of the game you wouldn't think to do it all game long. Come on Carbo, you probably could have gotten over 2 minutes extra if you worked hard for it.